RUBY’S LIL CLOWN
Induction Year: February 9, 2020
RUBY’S LIL CLOWN
RUBY’S LIL CLOWN (Rawhide’s Clown – Brown Ls Ruby)
5/7/1992 – 1/17/2000
When I grew up in South Dakota, there was no need for a dog to get your limit of pheasant or grouse. That notion changed in 1975, while I was living and working in Illinois and hunting in Iowa. In 1978 I purchased my first German Shorthaired Dog, the beginning of an expensive but rewarding hobby of Bird Dogs.
It was in 1990 that my good friends, Jack and Don Starr, began persuading me to get into Field Trialing. It took two years of constant prodding, during the Quad City Shorthaired Club meetings, to convince me to participate. By October of 1992, while at the NGSPA Nationals, I contacted George Newcomb and purchased from him a pup that was bred by John Clegg of Commerce City, Colorado. That was the start of years of Field Trialing with Lucky, born and registered as Ruby’s Lil Clown, FDSB # 1437849.
Keith Gulledge of Blue Dawn Kennels put Ruby on his string and worked her in winter and spring training. Ruby came home and we ran our first open derby horse-back trial at Fort Dearborn. Ruby’s performance won the Open Derby Stake.
Ruby was then sent to Wrenagade Kennels to be trained and to participate in broke dog stakes. At thirty months Ruby was an American Kennel Club Open and Amateur Field Trial Champion. At this stage wanting Ruby to compete in the American Field Trial Stakes, I connected with John Steger, who was willing to take Ruby on his string. During summer and winter training Ruby began to progress at a rapid pace.
In the spring of 1996, my good friend, Tom Davis, handled Ruby to the Region 4 Amateur Shooting Dog Championship. She was then entered in the National Amateur Shooting Dog Stake in Booneville Arkansas where Ruby won her first National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship.
In April of 1998 Frank Santana and I went to the Missouri Region 5 Championship, where Ruby’s Lil Clown won the Amateur Shooting Dog Stake with Frank scouting.
In the spring of 1999 Ruby’s Lil Clown was entered in the National German Pointing Dog Association All-Breed Nationals at the Green River Field Trial Grounds with John Steger winning the National Open Shooting Dog Championship. Then it was my turn to run Ruby’s Lil Clown in the National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship. Again, with the help of Frank Santana scouting, Ruby won her third National Amateur Shooting Dog Championship.
It was all disappointing news after the fall of 2000. Ruby was exposed to Spear Grass that traveled into the upper inside of her left leg. She was treated unsuccessfully in Des Moines by the Iowa State University Veterinary School and the second surgical attempt ended Ruby’s life and championship run.
Ruby’s linage was left to be carried on through the birth of five pups during her short life. These five pups had a total of 80 placements in AKC and NGSPA competition which included six hour shooting dog stakes wins, seven runner up wins in hour shooting dog stakes, a GSPCA Futurity winner in 1998 in a field of 72 dogs, a NGSPA Shooting Dog of the year in 2002, and a 2007 GSPCA Sire of the Year who had fourteen all-age wins.
Ruby’s successful but short career leaves me with wonderful memories of a great dog, able handlers, and the competitive spirit of field trials as well as those lasting friendships throughout the years. I am thankful for all.